Muffled noises tried to escape my mouth once the hand got slammed down on it. I tossed around with my arms, but they soon got twisted behind my back.

"Calm down, you shuck-face." A voice I recognized as Carl's said. My eyes searched all over the place, finding myself surrounded by Carl, of course, and the Builders Peter, Hank, and Henry.

"Come on." Henry pushed me further, forcing me to walk with them.

With all my force, I bit Carl's hand. "Where are you taking me?" I screamed right before my mouth got filled with a cloth. I almost choked on it.

"We're just joking, don't worry." They laughed quietly and kept pushing me closer to the Homestead. It gave me a more relaxed feeling. Everyone else would be there too in case they tried to do very bad things.

Yet I still resisted, kicked their legs with mine, and tried to spit the cloth out. Once I kicked Peter, he elbowed me in the stomach. The air got knocked out of my lungs in just a second. I cried out in pain and bent forward.

"Dude, don't be so harsh!" Hank warned Peter. "If you wanna do this unnoticed you better not leave any marks, shank."

Peter ignored him and kept walking. My heart pounded in my chest from fear of what they would do. They pushed me into the Homestead, so we stood in the hallway. On the right was a door to where everyone slept, on the left another door to a different room, and in front of us a closet and stairs.

Carl opened the closet door and gave Henry a nod. He let go of my hands and pushed me into the closet. I stumbled over, my knees scratching against the old wood.

The door slammed closed with a loud sound, the quick footsteps of the Builders fading away. They fled. Complete darkness surrounded me.

I didn't hesitate to pull the disgusting cloth out of my mouth and look around me. An old, rusty smell filled my nose, just like dust. I coughed and tried to feel something through the dark. The soft material of clothes hung above me and the hard, yet cracking walls were around me.

I took a huge breath, feeling my chest tighten by the small space. It was like there was no oxygen in the whole closet. I banged on the door, hoping to open it, but it didn't move an inch. They locked it. The idiots.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Help!"

Someone must've been up, right? Or wake up by my screams? I continued shouting for help, but after every scream, I had to gasp for air, as if the closet only became smaller by the second. That's what it felt like, at least.

And the darkness scared me. I literally couldn't see a thing. All I knew is that at some point I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned my head against them.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. I kept repeating once the tears formed. Panicking is the worst thing I can do.

But my chest started to sting as someone stabbed me. I put a hand on it and tried to scream again, but no sound was left. The tight space made me sweat, damping my forehead.

I banged on the door a few more times, trying to talk. "H-help!" My voice was shaking from fear and soon I realized I appeared to be claustrophobic. Awesome!

The horrible pain in my chest kept stinging, like a knife. Heart attack? No. Don't be crazy! My hands shook. I felt weak. How did I even let it happen? But it was four against one! But still...

My thoughts didn't make anything better. A shaky breath left my mouth, followed by another cry and soon sobs. I couldn't help myself.

I sucked up air desperately. None was left in my body, and it felt like none was left in the closet. The walls crept closer to me— I could feel my head get nauseous by it.

Tears fell, cries left, along with murmurs for help, but I was too weak to scream. I couldn't anymore. My fists hit the door repeatedly.

My heartbeat raced fast enough for me to feel it knock against my stinging chest over and over again. I breathed in, shaking and no air coming through, and out, panting and sweat dripping.

And then there was a sound outside. Footsteps came closer followed by the cracking of a door opening. "Which slinthead's causing trouble in the middle of the night?!"

I banged on the closet door just when it got opened by someone, making me fall through, right into their arms. The cold air hit my damped skin, but breathing still seemed impossible.

"Valerie?" Whoever held me asked. I nodded weakly, then continued crying.

"They... they lock-lo-."
They shushed me by pulling me on my feet. I stumbled over the floor until my back hit a wall. I slid against it until I sat on the floor, pulling my knees up and gasping for air again.

"Val, breathe." The male voice suggested. It was like a blur to my ears. "Ever heard of that? Do it." There was a long pause while I tried to gulp for air. "Do it with me."

My eyes closed automatically a minute ago, so I had never taken the chance to look at which Glader it even was. I focused to hear his breaths and by the sound of it, he loudened them just for me.

"You're shaking." He grabbed my freezing hands. Immediately his warmth gave off to my body, sending a whole load of it.

I squeezed my eyes even closer shut, wishing for it to be over and focusing on the breaths as much as I could. Later small tugs of air flew through my nose, filling my lungs again.

"See? You got it." His voice wasn't very calm. It seemed like he didn't really know what to do either and was quite nervous. And when my eyes opened, I saw who it was. Gally.

"Gally?" I stammered, confused at first. It was one of the last people I expected to help me.

"Potato Head, Captain Gally... yep." He nodded. Then his voice turned stern. "How'd you end up in that closet, Val? Sleepwalking?"

"No." I sniffed and wiped my tears away quickly, quite ashamed. "They, well, locked me in here. As a joke." I added the last thing fast.

Gally raised his eyebrows. "A joke? Alby gave them a clear warning to stop any comments and not even make the slightest touch with you if it's on purpose. How'd they put you in here?"

I didn't feel like explaining at first, but Gally's glance was enough to do it anyways. "I got up to get some water since I couldn't sleep. Not three seconds later they blocked my mouth with a cloth and put my hands behind my back, walked to the Homestead, and pushed me in the closet."

"Did they hurt you?"

"Not really. Just an elbow in the stomach when I didn't cooperate, but that's because I kicked them too."

He scoffed. "And that's self-defense. This might've been meant as a joke, but now you're here, shaking and crying."

"Prank went wrong." I couldn't help to let out a slight giggle at my own comment.

Gally's face stayed blank as stone. "That's not funny, Ginger."

I almost laughed louder. "It kind of is."

"Whatever. Imma have a word with those shuck-faces. And you're going to bed."

He took my arm and pulled me off the floor. "Wait, Gally, I-."
I cut myself off, not knowing what I was about to say. The only thing I knew is that I rather didn't want to be alone. "I'm not tired anymore."

"Then you're not going to bed." Gally awkwardly shrugged. "Which guys locked you in there?"

I stared at the ground again, swallowing away the lump in my throat. "Peter, Hank, Henry, and Carl."

"Carl again?" He spat out.

I didn't reply and walked out of the Homestead. Gally followed, and somehow I was happy about that. At least I wouldn't be alone again.

"Guess I'm afraid of small spaces," I muttered, hoping to let Gally talk about something else than those boys.

"I don't think anyone would choose to be locked up in a closet." He responded casually.

Newt did.

I had to hide my laugh at that thought.
"Or it's just me that would rather not be locked up in a closet?" Gally added.

"Nope. Not just you. But I don't think you'll get locked up in a closet fast." I still talked with a low voice, hoping not to wake anyone.

"Why?"

"Oh, well. No one will dare to do something like that to someone like you." I explained.

"I don't think Minho would mind." A small chuckle left Gally's mouth. "But you're right. I wouldn't even let it happen."

"That sounded like I should've prevented it," I admitted. "Maybe I should've."

"Four against one isn't very fair." He replied.

"I'm sure you could've handled them easily. Even when it's four against one."
Before I realized it, the words blurted out of my mouth. I blushed at it, hiding my face by looking at the ground.

Gally laughed once again. Something unusual for him, especially so much in such a short time. As we walked through the Glade a bit, I felt dawn splashing on my bare legs. I wore black shorts, almost ones that looked like sports clothes. My torso was covered with a white sweater.

"Maybe I can. Dunno, never tried it." Gally answered to my statement of him being able to beat four people. "I still don't get why they would do this after a warning."

"It's quite obvious." I smiled slightly. "And quite dumb to think a simple warning will help."

"Are you saying we should banish them?" His eyes twinkled at that, letting me know he was obviously joking.

"No." I shook my head, more serious now. "I'm saying to do nothing about it. It won't work anyway."

Gally nodded in agreement. "Only thing that'll work is self-defense."  

A thought popped up in my mind. I wanted them to stop. I really did. I wanted to feel happy again, not miserable. I wanted to give real smiles, not the fake ones every time. "Then teach me."

"Teach you what?"

"What do you think?" I scoffed at his question. "Self-defense, shank. Teach me how to wrestle."

"You're gonna wrestle with them?" Gally laughed right in my face. "That ain't gonna work."

"It's the least thing I can do, right?"

"We'll see."